Losing It!

Okay, folks, I am officially losing control. Not over my bodily functions (that was only when I was pregnant, thank you very much) but over my children's lives.

I am the mom, dang it! I am supposed to be all-knowing and powerful! (Mom, stop laughing..really, it isn't that funny that you wished this experience on me. Thanks.)

It all started when LP had a playdate with a boy from her class. I survived and it was nice and she still talks about how David is one of her "best friends." Which is making me think that I now have to reciprocate. I mean, I do, right? She needs to have more than just one playdate per school year? The challenge is that 1. I work and 2. I don't know how to "run" a playdate! Was that in the mom handbook? Did I miss it when they gave out "What to Expect - the School Years"?!

The Hoos (shockingly) isn't much help. When I asked him if I should see about bringing David home after Sunday school (he and LP are in the same class), he looked at me like I was nuts. "NO! You have his mom bring him over!" But, why? She knows me. Why should we pick our kids up at 12 separately when I can just pick them both up? Am I doing something wrong?

And in case worrying about LP's playdates wasn't enough - yesterday I got an email from the mom of one of AK's friends requesting a playdate for MY THREE YEAR OLD! She actually offered to take AK home from day care for a few hours (since she picks up earlier than I do, I guess).

WHAT?!

Am I a wimp that I would never consider 1. letting someone I have never met take my child home and 2. bringing home a child that I don't really know?

In case you are wondering, I wrote back and told the mom that since AK has never been to a playdate without me, I would like to try to find a time when I could bring her over. Does this make me a control freak? I don't think I am a constantly hovering helicopter mom, but am I?!

Partners in Crime

Check out one of my most favorite pictures of me and the Hoos. Aren't we cute? And young? Look at our hair! So full, so not gray! I would have put up a more recent photo of just the two of us, but I am realizing that I don't really have any. So this will have to suffice.

This weekend we spent three whole days and nights without children. We love our children. A LOT. But it was really nice to be able to run errands and do projects without having to worry about what we weren't doing - namely entertaining the kids. My parents, on the other hand, had their hands full. But I would like to think they loved every minute of THEIR weekend WITH our lovely daughters.

Needless to say it was a very busy and productive weekend. And full of just the sort of ridiculous stuff we did before kids:

1. Meeting for dinner at 7:30pm.
   
2. Selecting a restaurant based on the type of food I was craving (Indian) and its proximity to another errand (see #3)
   
3. Checking out the Swiss Army Warehouse sale - at 8pm, after the crowds had abated. Still crowded but who cared! We had no fear of losing our children in the rush.
4. Going to Home Depot right before closing, buying what we needed and NOT leaving with a whole bunch of "Mickey's" (Disney paint chips).
5. Installing a new faucet in our kitchen - together! While smiling and laughing and focused.
6. Measuring and contemplating purchasing items at IKEA together instead of chasing children through the store.
7. Fitting several large and heavy boxes from IKEA into the car (impossible with car seats and kids).
8. Spending two hours putting said furniture together from IKEA - only realizing we had done it totally wrong!
9. Frantically disassembling furniture so we could rush back to IKEA before it closed and exchange it for one that hadn't been f*&d up by our stupidity. (And shrugging about it instead of fighting and playing the blame game).
10. Eating dinner at a pizza-only joint at 9pm.
11. Assembling furniture for a second time - and staying up until 1:30am to do it. (Mostly so we wouldn't have to do it the next day with our little lovies back under foot).
12. Meeting my friend's beautiful newborn daughter. And getting to hold her for 45 uninterrupted minutes.
    

All of this crazy affirmed:

• That I did, indeed, marry my best friend.
• How nice it is to hold SOMEONE ELSE'S newborn. And it is totally possible to do this without wanting your own.
  

Just Pretend I'm Not Here

Exchange in the car last night:

"AK, tomorrow when mommy and me pick you up, guess what you are going to do?"

"Go swimming?"

"No."

"Go on the playground?"

"No. You are going to run right to me and give me a hug. Don't run to mommy."

"But I love her so much, LP. When I love you so much, I will run to you."

Me, interjecting, "AK, you love LP very much. She is your sister."

"Okay, LP, tomorrow I will run to you."

"Promise?"

"Okay."

"When you promise it means that you really want to do something. Actually, I don't really know what it means, but that is what I think it means. So remember - you promised to run to me tomorrow, not mommy."